Democratic Mayoral Candidate David Haas Hits the Campaign Trail

Haas kicks off campaign with Starbucks visit at 12:45 p.m. today.

After announcing last week that he will challenge Westfield Mayor Andy Skibitksy for his seat this November, Third Ward Councilman David Haas kicks off his campaign today with a "listening tour." “Westfield is a great town, but it can be better. I want to start my campaign by listening to residents and hearing their concerns,” said Haas in a statement emailed to Patch. Haas' stops are as follows: 12:45 p.m.  Starbucks, Central Ave., followed by a walk through of downtown Westfield. 2:30 p.m.  Sunrise Assisted Living Center, 240 Springfield Ave., meet with seniors, including Felix Haas, Dave’s father.  3:30 p.m.  Meeting with Young Democrats, Haas home, Shackamaxon Drive. First elected in 2005 and reelected in 2009, Haas is the council's …

•  8 Comments
• Photos (1)

Karen Egert

7:39 am on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

He is my Ward 3 Councilman and he's great . . Hiow is he viewed by other councilmen ? More important -- how is he viewed by the residents and how is Skibitsky viewed by the residents . He's not running for Mayor of the Councilmen . He's running for Mayor of the residents . That's a ridiculous statement   more ›

Council Rejects Proposal to Replace Central Ave. Stoplight With Signal

Report does not guarantee that traffic signal would provide "any measurable improvement in intersection safety."

Though it may have occurred during the final hours of Valentine’s Day, there was certainly no love lost at an emotional Town Council meeting Tuesday night. At the beginning of a sweeping presentation that summarized almost eight years of history behind the Council’s decision to install a pedestrian-activated stoplight on Central Avenue, Mayor Andy Skibitsky spoke of the importance of building a consensus. But after more than two more hours of discourse on a subject that has dominated public meetings for more than a year, and after a night that saw considerable conflict between residents as well as Council members, the only consensus reached was that the controversial mid-block traffic signal will not be moving anytime soon. The Council …

•  110 Comments
• Photos (1)

Calls For Improved Public Safety Dominate Town Council Meeting

Council members urge drivers, pedestrians to slow down, be more careful

Tuesday night marked the first meeting of the Town Council since two tragic events struck the town, so it came as no surprise that much of the night's discussion centered around a renewed focus on public safety. Less than two weeks removed from the Jan. 22 fire that ruined a string of businesses along South Avenue and less than a week after a pedestrian was struck and killed in an accident on North Avenue, both citizens and Council members discussed the state of safety within the town and what can be done to improve it.  “We hold public safety in the highest regard possible,” said Councilwoman Joann Neylan, chair of the Public Safety, Transportation and Parking Committee. Mayor Andy Skibitsky expressed his condolences on behalf of the …

•  6 Comments
• Photos (1)

Jody Feldon

9:57 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Mrs. Toescu-Enculescu - Have you tried to recruit any of the people involved in the 5 traffic accidents to attend the town council? Or tried to get a written testimonial stating their confusion from the traffic light? Perhaps this would be compelling evidence?   more ›

Westfield Weather Central

BOE Spokeswoman: No Damage to Schools After Irene

Schools scheduled to open on time, mayor establishes temporary power station for Wilson School.

In the wake of hurricane Irene, one of the looming questions was will school start on time?   Most towns including Westfield start school next week and since Irene caused flooding and power outages in many schools, there was a chance school may not start on time. All Westfield public schools are scheduled to start school on Wednesday morning.        After being without power until last Wednesday, Lorre Korecky, the school district's spokeswoman said power is back on at all of the schools, including Wilson School which went the longest without power. Korecky said Mayor Andy Skibitsky arranged for a temporary power station be put in an area surrounding Wilson School. To avoid flooding, janitors moved a generator from school to school on …

• Photos (1)

Westfield Votes 2011

LoGrippo to Get Full Year's Pay for Half Year's Work

Appointed third ward councilman to receive full dollar.

Looks like Councilman Mark LoGrippo could go wild in the Dollar Store if he wanted to at the end of his six-month term. Town officials confirmed that the new third ward councilman, who was appointed by the Town Council to fill an unexpired term last month, will claim a full year’s salary. That’s right, LoGrippo will receive a full dollar for his term. Town Administrator Jim Gildea said that under past town precedent LoGrippo will receive a dollar check sometime during his term of office, instead of a prorated check for fifty cents. Gildea said he did not know when LoGrippo will receive the check, noting that Mayor Andy Skibitsky and the other eight council members who have served in 2011 have already received their paychecks for the year. …

• Photos (2)

Neylan Appointed Acting Mayor

New appointments following Ciarrocca's departure take effect Dec. 31

JoAnn Neylan (R-2nd Ward) was appointed acting mayor of the Town Council, the biggest announcement of a series of changes Mayor Andy Skibitsky revealed at Tuesday night's meeting.  The changes became necessary after former Councilman Mark Ciarrocca resigned from the Council earlier this summer to become a state judge. Ciarrocca had been serving as both acting mayor and chair of the finance policy committee prior to his resignation. He was recently assigned to take the bench in family court in Union County. Neylan had been serving as interim acting mayor during the period between Ciarrocca's resignation and Skibitsky's announcement. Under the town charter, the acting mayor holds all of the mayor's powers in Skibitsky's absence. This …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Councilman Haas Plays Musical Chairs

Ciarrocca judgeship moves Haas to senior side of the dais.

Hopefully Councilman Dave Haas doesn't have anything else to whisper to Councilmembers Vicki Kimmins and Keith Loughlin during Council meetings. Last month's departure of former Councilman Mark Ciarrocca to become a state judge, has elevated Haas from junior councilman in the third ward to senior councilman. The elevation gave Haas the right to play musical chairs on the Council dais, moving from the right - or junior - side to the left - or senior side. The junior and senior titles are purely based on seniority and are ceremonial. They do not convey any additional powers on a Council member. Councilman Mark LoGrippo - who succeeded Ciarrocca for a six-month term - took Haas' place on the junior side of the dais. Haas has long held the …

• Photos (1)

Brightwood Swastika Painted Over; Mayor Vows to Prosecute

DPW covers hate symbol over in black paint.

The swastika painted on a tree in Brightwood Park was painted over by town workers Friday afternoon. Department of Public Works staffers painted over the Nazi hate symbol and other words and numbers, including ones that have neo-Nazi connections on Friday. The tree now has a large black box over the areas that contained the hate symbols. At the same time DPW staffers painted over graffiti found on nearby benches at the park. Police officers are investigating the hate crime, which was discovered by a resident walking her dog in the park on Friday morning. Mayor Andy Skibitsky is encouraging anyone with information in the case to contact the police at 789-4000 or the Union County Crimestopper hotline at www.uctip.com. Skibitsky, who oversees…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Judge Ciarrocca Takes the Bench

Former third ward councilman sworn-in to a state judgeship.

During a ceremony that mixed jokes with praise, Mark Ciarrocca donned a black robe and climbed the bench into his future. The former Westfield councilman was sworn-in Tuesday afternoon to a seven-year term as a state Superior Court judge in Union County. The ceremony, held in the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth, placed Ciarrocca center stage as his fellow judges welcomed him to the bench and others rushed to praise the Republican in a mini-version of “This is Your Life.” “Transforming from a lawyer to a judge brings a lot of anxiety to you, it also bring a lot of anticipation,” Union County Assignment Judge Karen Cassidy said. Cassidy focused much of her remarks on discussing the process to become a judge, including securing the …

•  6 Comments
• Photos (25)

Skibitsky to Announce New Deputy in August

Mayor needs to fill Ciarrocca's spots as acting mayor and finance chairman.

Mayor Andy Skibitsky said that he plans to announce the name of his new deputy at the Aug. 14 meeting of the Town Council. Skibitsky needs to appoint a new acting mayor due to the resignation of former Councilman Mark Ciarrocca to become a state judge. Ciarrocca had been holding the acting mayor's position for several years. Councilwoman Joann Neylan, the town's alternate acting mayor, will serve as the acting acting mayor until Skibitsky makes an appointment. Under the town charter, the acting mayor holds all of the mayor's powers in Skibitsky's absence. This includes presiding over Town Council meeting, being able to sign ordinances, handling ceremonial functions, setting meeting agendas, performing weddings and civil unions and …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)